The search 



Tight clayey soils that won't absorb water plus 

 a high water table that brings ground water al- 

 most to the ground's surface equal lousy condi- 

 tions for conventional septic tanks. 



The lousy conditions prevail over much of North 

 Carolina's coastal counties. In fact, a recent 

 state study indicates that approximately 90 per- 

 cent of the coastal area is unsuitable for con- 

 ventional septic systems. The result is many fail- 

 ing septic systems which can pollute local wells 

 and are implicated in the closing of much of the 

 state's shellfish waters. 



Almost one fifth of the state's shellfishing 

 areas are closed due to pollution and less than a 

 tenth of the pollution can be traced directly to 

 sewage treatment plants. Septic tanks are 

 usually blamed for the rest of the 400,000-plus 

 polluted acreage. Other factors such as* livestock 

 runoff, migrating waterfowl and freshwater run- 

 off also have an effect. 



Failing septic systems can also create stinking 

 messes and public health hazards. So health de- 

 partment officials responsible for approving small 

 septic systems are leery of granting permits in 

 areas with poor soil conditions. 



"People have property they want to develop 

 and lots of times we have to turn them down. We 

 hate to do this but we'd be causing a health haz- 

 ard by approving them," says Ed Pierce, head of 

 the Pasquotank-Perquimans-Chowan- Camden 

 District Health Department. "I don't know what 

 we can do for relief. That's where Dr. (Bobby) 

 Carlile comes in." 



Carlile and Larry Stewart are soil scientists at 

 North Carolina State University who — with the 

 help of UNC Sea Grant and N.C. Agricultural 

 Experiment Station funds — are testing alterna- 

 tives to conventional septic systems. Their al- 

 ternative systems are now being monitored in 

 Perquimans and Washington counties. More test 

 sites are being arranged for Hyde, Pender and 

 Carteret counties. 



"What we're trying to do is develop home sew- 

 age systems that can be used in marginal or un- 

 suitable sites. We know we're not going to have 

 central sewage treatment for all areas of the 

 state anytime soon (and the cost at the coast 

 would be considerable), so we have to develop 

 some kind of systems that can be used on any 

 site," Carlile says. 



"What we're looking for is systems that will 

 work and that an average home owner can afford 

 and will use." 



The economic and health liabilities of failed 

 septic systems are a major reason for the search 



for alternatives. But Carlile and Stewart also are 

 thinking of agriculture when they look for septic 

 systems that will work on any land. 



"To maintain prime agricultural land and leave 

 it in production, you have to develop marginal 

 land," Carlile explains. "Marginal farm land is 

 also marginal for septic tanks, so you have to 

 develop new systems that will work on this land." 



If Carlile and Stewart are successful in finding 

 septic systems that can work almost anywhere — 

 and the scientists are optimistic since their al- 

 ternatives already appear better than conven- 

 tional systems — the implications are large. De- 

 velopment would be possible in areas where it is 

 now practically impossible. And that's a lot of land 

 considering state estimates that approximately 

 90 per cent of the coastal area is "unsuitable for 

 conventional septic systems." 



"Most of us are resigned to the fact that this 

 area will develop some way or another," com- 

 ments Dr. Charles McCants, head of the NCSU 

 Soil Science Department. "What we're hoping is 

 the results from this research will help the area 

 develop in a manner which will do less environ- 

 mental damage than the current way." 



"There won't be any magic system to cure 

 everything," Carlile adds. "Everything will have 

 to be site specific and gradual improvement. But 

 we can certainly do a much better job than is be- 

 ing done now." 



Septic renovation levee: This test system serves twcjmp 

 houses in Plymouth, N.C. It is three feet high and 5C 

 feet long. 



